Notes: This ficlet, guys. It hurt. This is my response for Fantastical Fencing (a story of at least 100 words involving your character in which something fantastical happens). The title is yet another quote from Matthew Stover's novelization of Revenge of the Sith, and it's a refrain that gets repeated in Enter the Foreign on more than one occasion.
After this, things will ease up, I promise. (Although there's still EtF, so...)
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VII. "Even Stars Burn Out" | 47 ABY | Fantastical Fencing
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"Come on!" he screams above the howling of the wind. The storm that has kicked up around them feels unnatural to his senses, sparking with the energy of the universe – a maelstrom in the Force itself. He hangs halfway off the ramp of the ship, stretching out his hand, knowing that she can make it if she puts everything into one Force-fueled leap…
Her cerulean blade pierces the encroaching darkness, batting away blaster bolts, burning through rubble and debris that whirls through the air. She looks up at him over her shoulder, arms parallel to the ground as she throws the Sith Lords away from her with a single, powerful burst of energy. And then she smiles at him, one corner of her mouth curving up as she shakes her head.
He finds himself mimicking that head shake, mouth moving wordlessly, like a fish out of water, gasping and lost. Finally, he finds his words, feels them rush from his throat as though ripped against his will. "No, don't!" he screams again, a crushing weight in his chest as he realizes what's about to happen, what he's about to lose, what they're all about to lose. "Come on! Come on!"
The Sith Lords rise and hurtle toward her, four in total, each of them massive in comparison to her tiny form. Between them all, the lasers continue to fly, and the debris rains down, and the night approaches.
She takes a blast in the side, the scorch mark marring the white of her tunic, a jagged, burnt hole. Her saber weaves through the air, deflecting ten times as many as hit her, but more and more begin to find their target. And still she stands, still she fends off her opponents, still the Force rages and moans and howls around her.
Go, she whispers, a gentle command that nevertheless brooks no room for argument.
"Ben, we have to get inside!" Elias's voice in his ear, and his arms wrapped around him, trying to pull him back from the edge. He can't take his eyes off of her, though. He wonders if he's imagining the faint glow that seems to have permeated her body, radiating outward, like she's become a small star…
"Let's go!" Tahiri says behind him, shouting into a comlink.
Syal's voice now, answering through the comm: "We're stuck… some kind of tractor beam, or… dammit, I can't get free!"
He finally tears his eyes away from her and looks out across the desolate plain. At the crest of the ridge, standing atop the wreckage of the other freighter, is the Master of the Sith, the one they call Krayt. Covered from head to toe in vonduun crab armor, he reaches out with one hand, grasping their ship as easily as if it was a toy.
Down below, the other Sith Lords are upon her again, but she moves with the speed and fluidity of a much younger woman, blocking and parrying with ease, even though she's still taking fire, even though one of their lightsabers has managed to burn a line across her stomach. He can feel it now, the power coursing through her, a river of light and fire and brilliance. She's aware of the pain, but it has no hold over her. The Force is with her, as much as it's ever been with anyone, he thinks. As much as it can be with anyone.
He shakes his head, still resisting Elias's pull. He has to try one more time, even though he knows she'll refuse him, just like his mother refused him, and his father before her. He can't not try, though. That's what it means to be a Skywalker.
"Come on!" Tears begin to blind him as he reaches for her. "Aunt Leia!"
The four Sith Lords stagger to their feet for one last advance, driving forward in unison. There's no way she can block them all at once. Two of them manage to slip past her defenses while she fends off the others; their crimson blades pierce her middle. The wind lashes at everything, at everyone. The darkness howls, and the light surges to meet it. He sees her smile one last time, her lightsaber flashing as she strikes once, twice, three times, sending three bodies tumbling to the ground. She reaches out and grabs the last Sith Lord by the arm. He runs her through with his saber, and she holds it there, still smiling. Before he can break free, she stabs him in the side.
The fourth Sith drops to the ground, and Aunt Leia falls to her knees, the energy still burning through her, burning away her mortal form. She closes her eyes and collapses, her star going out in a dazzling and terrible instant; and as the Force writhes from the pain of her passing, he feels Krayt's hold on their ship break.
They rocket into the sky, and before he allows Elias to pull him all the way into the ship, he notices all blaster fire has completely ceased, and he sees Darth Krayt standing silent and motionless on the ridge.
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